Heaven on Earth
by sunnygirl316
Summary: A story of Jamie and Landon's perfect summer. Starts at the wedding and continues through their life together. "And now faith, hope and love abide, and the greatest of these is love." (1 corinthians 13:13)
1. What Dreams are Made of

Author's note: I do not own any of the characters of AWTR (or anything else that I forgot to put in this little disclaimer). This story is based on true events from the life of my friend who is more like Jamie than anyone I have ever met. It is dedicated to Lynnie, who never has never once lost her faith or her smile. I am writing it as a way of coping with her illness. Most of Jamie's Point Of View in this story is Lynnie's own thoughts. (Jamie's POV will be in bold to avoid confusion.)  
PS: Lynnie has a list just like Jamie, and she has been waiting for a miracle for a really long time. So I ask that anyone who reads this pray for her #1. If her story inspires you, or if you would like to send her get well wishes, you can drop her a line at God bless you!

This story is dedicated to God - "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that is at work within us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

** I left my father talking to Mrs. Washington from church and made my way back to the table and sat down. I t was the same chair I sat in only a few months before on our first date. I smiled to myself as I watched Landon and his friends dancing to 'Baby Got Back'. The past few months had forced him to grow up so fast, but now he seemed unchanged as he and Eric laughed together on the dance floor. I had been married for only a few short hours and already I couldn't imagine my life any other way. I looked at everyone around me and for the first time realized how blessed I was to be in the presence of everyone I love. My #1 had been fulfilled, and at that moment my life could not have been more complete. If earth can be so wonderful, I cannot comprehend the beauty or heaven.**

**I leaned back up in my chair and stared up at the sky. I had never seen such a clear night. It would have taken a thousand lifetimes to count all the stars. The moon was so bright that the candles on the tables seemed unnecessary. I closed my eyes and breathed in the salty smell of the ocean. At that moment a cool breeze blew across my face...I could feel God's presence surround me and I silently prayed. 'Lord, I have been praying for this day all my life, and now that it is finally here, it is far better than anything I ever could have hoped for. Thank you for ever second of this day, every star in the sky, and every life here tonight. Right now my heart is filled with more love than I have ever felt before. If I can love this much, I can't imagine how much you love me. Thank you for making my dreams come true...'**

**I thought of Ephesians 3:20 'Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that is at work within us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.'**

I noticed Jamie sitting by herself at our table and my heart skipped a beat. She was leaning back with her eyes closed and he face lifted towards the sky. The small smile on her face made her look like she knew some special kind of secret. I could only guess that she was talking to God. The moonlight reflected off her white dress and the candle on the table made her pale skin glow in the darkness. She looked like an angel. I suddenly understood why God had to take her away so soon. She simply wasn't meant for this world. I wondered why God chose me to be the one who got to share this night with her. Her love was everything the bible talked about - patient, kind, forgiving. 

I had no idea how long I had been staring at her - was it a minute or an hour? The dance floor had cleared and I felt my face turn red as I saw small groups of people smiling at me and whispering as they watched us. I knew the night was almost over but I couldn't end it just yet. I casually walked over to the DJ and made a request. I mad my way over to Jamie and I right before I reached her side I stopped and made a mental image of her face. I wanted to remember her forever the way she looked right now.

**I was still praying when I felt a hand cover my eyes.  
"Guess who?"  
"Hey you". Landon handed me a white rose from the vase on the table.  
"Would you like to dance?" His lips curled into a smile as we both thought of that night from the past when I spoke those words.  
"I thought you couldn't dance."  
"Well I thought so too and then I met this girl who told me everyone can dance."  
We were both laughing by the time we reached the dance floor. I looked into his hazel eyes as he pulled me closer and 'Only Hope' started playing softly. "I can't believe..."  
"shhh..."  
We danced in silence until Landon tripped over my foot.  
"Ohh sorry...are you ok?" he asked as he bit his lip.  
"Its okay, in all fairness you did warn me." We both burst out laughing, knowing that the night could not have been more perfect. "Next time I'll know better than to wear open- toe shoes." His eyes smiled back at me as we moved across the floor. It felt like no one else was there, like nothing else in the world mattered besides us dancing under the stars. The song came to an end and Landon's lips brushed against mine. I closed my eyes as the kiss grew into something I had never known before. The thought never crossed my mind that everyone was watching us...all I could feel was his hand in my hair and his lips against mine. With that the music stopped and I returned to reality wondering if tonight was a dream, because it seemed too good to be true. **

"What do you think, should we get out of here?" Jamie didn't reply right away, she almost looked disappointed.  
"Um...ok, it's just that I hate to see tonight end." She looked at me with big puppy dog eyes that seemed to make my soul melt.  
"I'm beginning to think you married me for the party. Besides, who said the night was over? I still have one more surprise for you."

Everyone gathered in the parking lot and once again we were showered with rice as we made our way to my car. I helped Jamie get her dress into the car and was about to close the door when she pulled me down and kissed me. I could hear her father chuckle behind me as I walked around to my side of the car. Everyone was shouting and congratulating us as we pulled away and Jamie hung out the window waving and blowing kisses until we turned the corner. We sat in silence for a few minutes and I watched Jamie stare out the window, lost in her own world. I wondered what she was thinking about when she did that. Part of me wished she would share it with me, but then it was probably something I didn't want to know, or at least wasn't ready to face yet. The streamers on the back of the car made a soft rippling noise as they trailed behind us. It wasn't until I turned onto Willow Street that Jamie broke the silence.  
"Where are we going?"  
"Just hold on, you'll see." A mischievous smile spread across my face and she looked at me quizzically. I parked the car in front of a small, pale green colonial with a wide front porch. An old apple tree draped its branches over the sidewalk and a wooden swing hung from a branch growing out into the yard.  
"Welcome home.", I whispered. Her expression was blank for a moment and then her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.  
"Our home? Oh Landon, it's perfect. But how did you...when did...I can't believe it!"  
"It was a wedding present from my grandparents." I picked it out 2 weeks ago while you were in choir practice."  
"When do we move in?" Her voice was filled with as much excitement as a child on their birthday.  
"Right now. I brought my stuff over on Thursday and your Dad helped me bring your things over this morning." I watched her break into a grin that made the cheshire cat's seem small in comparison. We got out of the car and walked up the path hand in hand. When we reached the door I gathered her into my arms and was surprised at how light she felt despite the layers of her dress wrapped around her.The door opened into a small hallway and I carried her into the living room on the left.  
"Where did all this furniture come from?!" She exclaimed gleefully.  
"A present from your Dad." I helped pick it out. Do you like it?"  
"Mmmm." 

I carried her through each of the three rooms downstairs and her eyes grew wider with each new discovery. The house was old and it needed work, but we didn't care, it already felt like home. I carried here up the stairs and brought here into the first bedroom on the right.  
"Whats this room for?"  
"Anything you want." She seemed to like my answer and she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.  
"And now for the grand finale...the master bedroom! I flung open the door, switched on the lights and gently set Jamie down on the bed.  
  
**I sank into the thick white quilt on the bed. The house was perfect. I didn't care that the paint was peeling on some of the walls and the stairs creaked. There was nowhere else that I could imagine spending the rest of my life. I looked around the bedroom. There was an overstuffed pale yellow armchair next to the bed. At the end of the room were to large glass doors open to the balcony. I noticed my telescope already set up in the corner. "It's perfect." I breathed.  
"You haven't seen the best part yet - wait until you see the backyard. Come on, lets go check it out."  
"Its a deal, but maybe I should change out of this dress first." The weight of the countless layers of fabric was starting to weigh me down.  
"Good idea. I don't think I can stand this tux for one more second. Oh, and by the way you might want to wash some of that rice out of your hair." Landon reached down and pulled a grain of rice out of my hair, wrapping a curl around his finger. I stretched as I stood up and opened the door between the closet and the bed, assuming it was a bathroom. As soon as I switched the light on I burst out laughing. "Did you see the wallpaper in here?"  
"Yeah. The cartoon frogs? The people who lived here before us had weird taste in decorating. Don't worry we can change it."  
"Thats okay...I kind of like it." I replied, looking at the frogs smiling down in different poses. Before unzipping my wedding dress I took one last look in the mirror. I found it hard to believe that my #1 had come true. I turned on the water and started singing Only Hope. It had been stuck in my head since our last dance. Landon's voice echoed through the door.  
"I love you Jamie Sullivan."  
"Carter. It's Jamie Carter."  
"I like that even better."**

**I got dressed in a light pink tank top and matching lace trimmed shorts and joined Landon on the balcony. The view of our backyard took my breath away. A narrow stone path led to a pond with a small rowboat tied to a weeping willow on the shore. The moonlight danced on the water as a cluster of ducks floated by. Off to the side were two large oak trees with a hammock strung between them. It looked like a scene from a fairy tale.  
"I told you that you'd like it. I thought you could plant a garden over there behind the house." Landon pointed out a spot of bare dirt under our kitchen window. I remained silent, trying to take it all in. "You could stand here staring at it all night or we could go try out that hammock." Landon nudged me with his elbow, and looked down at me with a playful smile.  
"I can't think of anything I'd rather do."**

I lifted Jamie into the hammock and it creaked under her weight. "Sorry, I didn't realize how old this thing was, we'll have to get a new one sometime.  
"I don't mind it. It's actually kind of nice. It smells like leaves."  
I looked at her questioningly. "You also liked the frog wallpaper.", I joked. That was Jamie. She loved everything. I had never met anyone so in love with the world around them.  
I lay down next to her. She seemed mesmerized by the myriad of stars above us. She took my hand in hers, extended it to the sky, and traced the outline of a constellation with her finger.

"What is it?"  
"Taurus. It's supposed to be a bull."  
I tilted my head and tried to figure out how anyone could see a bull in the jumble of stars.  
"The legend is that Zeus disguised himself as a snow white bull in order to attract a princess.",Jamie explained. "Drawn to the animal by its beauty, she climbed onto its back. Zeus swam with her on his back to Crete, where he revealed his identity to her and won her heart."  
"Can you find your star?" Jamie moved my arm higher in the sky and pointed to her star. "I think its the brightest one in the sky.", I whispered in her ear. "Its so bright its blinking. Does it look like its moving to you?"  
"Landon thats a plane!" Jamie burst out laughing. Her laughter was contagious and we laughed until our stomachs hurt. Jamie rested her head on my shoulder and began reciting a passage from 1 Corinthians. "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

In a few minutes her breathing had slowed down and I realized she was asleep. I carried her back into the bedroom. I wasn't sure which side of the bed she'd want so I put her on the side near the window, where she could see the stars at night. I turned off the light and climbed into bed next to her, knowing that nothing I dreamed that night could be as good as reality.


	2. Pancakes and Presents

**I awoke to a frantic high-pitched beep resounding through the house. As I sleepily stumbled down the stairs I realized that I something burning. I found Landon in the kitchen, standing on a chair under the smoke alarm. The room was filled with thick smoke. He was waving a towel and trying to clear the air.**

**  
"Hey...uh, I made you breakfast." He said, jumping down and pulling a smoking cookie sheet out of the oven.  
"Looks delicious. What is it exactly?" I asked, trying to make sense of the charred black blobs that Landon was working to scrape off.  
"Pancakes. Want some", he offered.  
"No thanks. And what were pancakes doing in the oven? You make them in a pan...hence the name. Here, let me help." He wrapped me in a bear hug as I poured some batter in a pan and we made breakfast together.  
**

**We decided to eat on the front porch while the smoke cleared from the kitchen. Landon rocked the porch swing with his foot as we sat together and talked.  
"I want to get to church early today; I have to put out the sign up sheet for vacation bible school." I casually remarked through a mouthful of pancakes.  
"We're going to church? Aren't you tired from the wedding? Maybe you should rest...I don't want you to overdo it." He studied my face, trying to see if I was feeling alright.  
"Don't worry, I'm fine. Besides, the service is only an hour."  
**

**Landon winked at me from the second pew as I took my place in the choir loft. I winked back and mouthed "Forty two...", at which he stared to laugh silently. I could hear my father saying something about a fundraiser for the youth group, but I couldn't concentrate on the announcements as Landon stuck his tongue out at me and I tried not to laugh.  
My father gave a sermon on God's grace and the importance of forgiveness. "Be merciful, just as your father is merciful. Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." I looked over at Landon and was surprised to see that his head was bowed in prayer. I was filled with joy at his new relationship with God. I knew we would both need faith to endure what was to come.  
**

**On the ride home from church, Landon was extremely quiet. He pulled over in the street in front of the pier and didn't say anything for a few minutes.  
"What's wrong?"  
"Jamie, I don't know if you'll ever be able to forgive me, but I'm so sorry for everything I ever did to hurt you. I'm sorry for the time in kindergarten when I dumped sand in your hair at the sandbox, and all the times I made fun of your clothes, and in 7th grade when I hung that plastic alien on your mobile of the solar system, and last year when I ignored you in front of my friends..."  
"Landon, its okay. I forgive you."  
"You do?"  
"Mmhmm. I forgave you a long time ago. Oh, and by the way, you missed one. You forgot about my birthday in second grade when you hid my cupcakes in the closet." We both started laughing at the memory of our teacher searching the classroom while I stood at the front of the room in a cardboard birthday crown.  
"I promise I'll make it up to you. As soon as we get home I'm going to make you some cupcakes."  
"Oh no you're not. After this morning's events, you're not allowed to play with the oven anymore."**

**We pulled up to the house just in time to find Landon's mom unloading the last of the wedding presents into the house. She came over and embraced both of us.  
"Jamie, you sounded beautiful in church this morning."  
"Thank you."  
"She always sounds beautiful...the voice of an angel." Landon laughed as he nudged me with his elbow.  
"So this was why you were in such a hurry to leave church this morning.", I had been curious what she was up to the way she hurried out of the sanctuary so quickly after the closing prayer. "Why don't you stay for lunch? I'll make us some sandwiches."  
"Oh, thanks for the offer sweetie but I have a few things to finish up for the office tomorrow. Besides, you two probably want some time alone."  
**

**As I watched her drive away, I couldn't help but think that for the first time in my life I felt like I had a mother. I was lost in thought when Landon lifted my face to meet his.  
"What are you thinking about?"  
"The presents.", I smiled. "What do you think could be inside all those boxes?"  
"I don't know, let's go find out."  
When I opened the door, I almost tripped over a pile of stray gifts lined up in the hallway. The living room was filled to capacity. If I had collected all the presents I had received on every Christmas and birthday of my life, I wouldn't have half this many. **  
  
Jamie was speechless as she took in the sight of all the gifts filling our house. I led her over to the couch, and she sat down without taking her eyes off the presents.  
"Where should we start?"  
"This one." Jamie answered. "It almost looks to pretty to open." The medium sized box was wrapped in blue paper covered with doves and tied with a silver ribbon. "Let's open it together.", she suggested.  
We untied the ribbon and pulled the paper off in unison. "Congratulations Jamie Carter! You are the proud owner of a new blender!" I pulled it out of the packaging and handed it to her to admire.  
"Just what I always wanted." She laughed, as she opened a set of dishes. I tore open another package and found a set of silver candlesticks and a matching picture frame.

Two hours later, we were down to the last box. It was from Mrs. Washington, an elderly woman from church who had baby-sat Jamie many years ago. I sat back and enjoyed watching Jamie unwrap it. She had all the enthusiasm of a small child at Christmas. "It's another blender!" she laughed.  
"Well, that makes 4. I guess we'll be having smoothies for dinner tonight."  
"Speaking of dinner, it's almost 5:30...I better get started." She gave me a quick kiss before bouncing off to the kitchen carrying her new baking pan.

I could hear Jamie singing softly to herself in the kitchen as I cleaned up the wrapping paper and boxes strewn around the living room. I carried some of our new dishes into the kitchen and put them away in the cabinets. The air smelled like cooking spices as I walked up behind Jamie and put my arms around her. She turned around with an oven mitt on her hand and kissed me. We must have gotten carried away, because a few minutes later we were interrupted by the oven timer.

A warm breeze drifted through the window as we sat in the kitchen eating the Lasagna that Jamie made. At least one of us knew how to cook. "Hey do you realize its only four days till Thursday?" We had decided to wait a few days before taking our honeymoon, so Jamie would have enough time to rest from the wedding.  
"Mmhmm. I finished packing this morning. I can't believe I've lived this close to Virginia Beach my whole life and I've never been there." I smiled at Jamie's comment. If only she knew where we were really going...  
"What are you smirking about?" She asked playfully.  
"Oh you'll see." I looked across the table at Jamie and couldn't help noticing that she looked paler than usual in the fading evening sunlight. "Baby why don't you go rest while I clean up dinner."  
"Are you sure you don't mind? I guess we did have a busy weekend. But it was definitely worth it." She said with a glow in her eyes.

I was just finishing washing the dishes when the phone rang. I jumped to get it so it wouldn't wake Jamie. I grinned as a recording confirmed our hotel reservations and arrival time. This was going to be great.

Jamie was still sleeping when I made my way into our room later that night. I quietly opened her suitcase, trying not to wake her. I surveyed what she had packed and removed one of her sweaters and a pair of jeans and replaced them with shorts and a few t-shirts. She stirred slightly as I climbed into bed and kissed her goodnight.

I realized that up until now I had taken it for granted that I would be able to see her face every day. I couldn't sleep, and I lay awake wondering how much time we had left together, wishing it could be a lifetime. I had known her my whole life. Why had it taken me so long to realize how wonderful she was?

**I woke up in the middle of the night and noticed that Landon was not among the disheveled mess of blankets on his side of the bed. I glanced at the clock - 2:23 am. Where could he be? I found him in the darkened kitchen with a carton of ice cream.  
"Phish Food, my favorite.", I said as I picked up a spoon and led him out the door to the porch swing. "I wonder how they get the caramel inside the fishes..." I mused, breaking the silence. He obviously had something on his mind.  
"I don't know, but its genius." He replied, a smile finally forming on his face.  
"Don't you ever wonder what God was thinking when he created the universe?"  
"Only you would think of something like that." Landon replied, popping a chocolate fish into his mouth.  
"No really, I wonder if he strategically placed each galaxy, or debated what color to make sunflowers. Or why did he give ostriches wings if they can't fly?"  
"I never really thought about it that way. Sometimes I wonder why he gave me a second chance. Where do you think I'd be right now if I hadn't gone out to the factory with Clay Gephardt that night? What if I never got sentenced to the spring play...if I had never asked you to help me with my lines?"  
" Then I guess we wouldn't be sitting here eating ice cream together right now. Which would be a shame, because everything feels so perfect."  
I leaned back on into the swing as Landon ran his hand through my hair. I must have fallen asleep, because the next time I opened my eyes I was in bed, with the moonlight shining through the window.**


	3. A Whole New World

a/n: Sorry for keeping you waiting...school has been busy lately, but here's a nice long one for you. Please continue to pray for Lynnie, she isn't doing so well, and I know if we flood the heavens with prayer God will bless her with a miracle and give her her #1. : ) Enjoy the story. r&r

I groaned as I was jolted awake by the alarm. I turned over and saw the time on the clock. 6:00 am. My annoyance at being woken up soon turned to excitement when I remembered what day it was. We had a plane to catch. I felt bad waking up Jamie, so looked so peaceful. "Hey baby, I thought we could get an early start today, beat the traffic.

"Mmmmkay." she replied sleepily.

After loading the suitcases into the car, I found Jamie in the kitchen packing a cooler of sandwiches and juice. I walked up behind her and tugged on her ponytail.  
"Oh, hey. Are we all ready to go?"

Yeah. The cars all packed. All that's missing is us." I picked up the cooler and led her out the door and into the driveway.

Jamie sighed and leaned her head against the window. No sooner were we off our street and she was asleep again. She slept all the way to Jacksonville, and I was relieved that I could avoid any questions as to our destination.  
When we pulled into the airport parking lot, I leaned over and kissed her cheek, trying to wake her. She stirred and her hair shined a deep chestnut color in the early morning sun.  
"Are we there already?" She asked finally blinking her eyes open. She took in our surroundings and gave me a questioning look. "Where are we?"  
"Jacksonville. Albert J. Ellis Airport."  
"Why are we at the airport? I thought we were driving...Virginias only a few hours away."

"We're not exactly going to Virginia." Her eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out what I had planned. "Get ready to cross number 27 off your list. We're going to Disney World." It took her a moment to take in what I had said and then her face lit up as she broke into laughter.

"Landon! This is amazing! How did you do this? And you kept it a secret all this time?"  
"I called the Make-A-Wish Foundation." I explained, pinning a button onto her t-shirt that read 'Ask me about my wish.'

"Don't worry, I figured you would want to use your wish to make the world a better place, so I also had some bibles sent to the homeless shelter in New Bern." If I thought she was smiling before, she looked like the Cheshire cat now.

She took my hand and looked into my eyes. "Thank you.", she whispered.  
"No problem. You deserve it." I answered, kissing her lightly. "I hate to ruin the moment but we have a plane to catch." I smiled, opening the trunk of the car to get our bags out. Jamie cringed when I unloaded the wheelchair from the car. We hadn't used it since she recovered from her last hospital stay, but I knew how much walking this trip would involve and I didn't know if she could handle it. "We don't have to use it. I just thought you might want it in case you get tired. We'll be walking all day, and I don't know..."

Jamie looked down at the pavement before speaking. "Maybe we could just leave it in the car?" She asked uncertainly.  
I knew how hard she was fighting, knew she didn't want to give in to her sickness, and for a minute I almost complied. "We could but then I would have done all this work for nothing." I unfolded the back of the wheelchair to reveal a glittered sign that read 'Just Married'.  
"Okay, but I'm not getting in just yet. I think it works much better as a luggage cart." Jamie smiled, lifting a small suitcase onto the seat.

**I had never been on a plane before. Landon, noticing my enthusiasm, gave me the window seat. I kept my face glued to the window, watching as the small cars and houses faded away and were replaced by clear blue sky. The sunlight beamed down and reflected off the clouds with a yellow glow. I wondered if this is what heaven felt like. "It's so beautiful up here, it makes me feel closer to God."  
"Is there anything that doesn't make you feel closer to God?" Landon asked, handing me a bag of mini pretzels.  
"No. That's the beauty of God...He's everywhere." My thoughts were interrupted by the pilot's voice coming over the speaker.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached Orlando, our final destination. Please remain seated until the fasten seatbelt light is turned off. Thank you for flying with us and enjoy the rest of your day."  
**

**I turned to Landon, remembering our first date. "How does it feel to achieve your number 1? Congratulations, you finally got out of Beaufort."  
He smiled back at me and reached for my hand. "Maybe Beaufort had more to offer than I realized." **

**When we got to our hotel, The Polynesian, it felt like stepping into another world. The main building was surrounded by tropical foliage and towering tiki statues. I stopped on a bridge over a small pond realizing that it was filled with enormous goldfish. "Landon, aren't these the most amazing fish you've ever seen?"  
"Geez, if I had known you wanted to look at fish, I would have taken you to an aquarium. Just wait. It gets better."**

**After checking into our room, we found our way to the monorail. We had decided to make the magic kingdom our first stop.  
"This is so much fun, I could ride this all day, I've never seen anything like it before."  
"Just wait. It gets even better." Landon replied, sliding over on the bench as we stopped at another hotel to pick up more tourists. "Look over there, Cinderella's castle." I stared in awe as we approached the theme park. It was even more breathtaking once we got inside.  
"Where do we start? There's so much to see, it seems like it goes on forever..."  
"Splash Mountain. I think you'll love it."**

**"And you said this is supposed to be fun? Are you sure about this?" I shifted my glance between Landon and the 80 foot drop into the briar patch at the end of the ride.  
"It is fun. I promise. You can't come all this way and not try it." He ducked behind me when a log boat plunged into the water below us and splashed the bridge with water. I was surprised at how fun it looked.  
"Let's go." I said, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the entrance to the ride.  
Landon wrapped his arm around me as we settled into the log boat. As soon as we saw the singing animals we both burst into laughter, and didn't stop for the rest of the ride. Finally the boat slowed and came to a stop.  
"So, what do you think?"  
"Way better than the Beaufort carnival. Can we go again?"  
**

**We soon realized that having the wheelchair with us had its advantages. It got us into a special entrance that cut out an hour of waiting on line. Two hours later we stepped out of the boat for the seventh time.  
**

"Why don't we take a break and dry off for a little while? I don't think I can take one more singing rabbit. Besides, you look like someone tried to drown you." I brushed a dripping strand of hair out of Jamie's face and kissed her nose.

We spent the rest of the day watching parades and eating ice cream. Jamie's eyes grew wider with every attraction we visited. Being with her made me feel so...alive. Her love and enthusiasm for life and the world around us was contagious.  
We got back to our room around 10, after the parks had closed for the day. Jamie stretched out across the king size bed and I lay down next to her.

When I awoke the next morning, Jamie was already up. She was sitting in a chair by the window looking through a pile of theme park maps. She was wearing a lavender sundress and casually playing with her hair while she studied the brochure on Epcot. "Close your eyes.", she instructed me, while fanning out the brochures in her hands. "Now pick one." I reached down and pulled out a map of MGM Studios. "I was hoping you'd pick that one.", Jamie said happily.  
"Okay, now it's my turn. Close your eyes." I knelt down and kissed Jamie, holding her face in my hands.  
"Mmm I think I like your game better." She replied, and leaned in to kiss me again.

The air was already thick with humidity by the time we had eaten breakfast and gotten to the park. "So what'll it be?" I asked Jamie, as I discretely eyed the Tower of Terror. I couldn't ask Jamie to go on it, it looked a little rough and it didn't really seem like her style.  
"Do you want to go on that?" She asked innocently.  
"No, that's okay, been there, done that." I tried not to look too interested.  
"Oh that's too bad, because I kind of wanted to try it."  
Jamie was thoroughly entertained by the scenery of the abandoned hotel leading up to the ride. We were seated in the front row of the elevator car and Jamie clung to my arm as we plunged 13 stories.

When we got off the ride, I noticed Jamie looked a little queasy and had her arms wrapped around her stomach. "Hey, are you okay?", I asked her.  
"Mmhmm. I guess it wasn't the best idea to try that after taking my medicine. But I'll be alright in a few minutes."  
"Oh baby, I'm so sorry. I'm just not used to remembering that kind of stuff yet..." I felt so guilty for making her sick.  
"Don't worry, it's not your fault. You shouldn't have to get used to thinking about those things." Jamie looked away and we walked on in silence for a few minutes. I looked at the brightly colored buildings we were passing. Gift shop, candy store, ice cream shop... Jamie turned to me and smiled.

"Would you like some ice cream?" I guess she was feeling better.

The rest of the morning passed uneventfully while we visited the various rids and attractions. In the afternoon, we noticed crowds gathering on the edge of the street to watch a parade. I picked a spot on the sidewalk and sat down. Jamie leaned her back against me and stretched her legs out into the street.

**The Florida sun was stronger than I was used to, and I found the heat made me tired more quickly. I was glad to have an excuse to sit down and rest for a while. Cinderella's carriage passed by, pulled by two white horses. "When I was little, I wanted to be Cinderella when I grew up." I laughed remembering how I used to wear high-heeled shoes that had been donated to the church thrift store, pretending they were glass slippers.  
**

**"I wanted to be spider-man." Landon said with a grin. "I'm still thinking about applying for the job after college." He joked.**

**The rest of the day passed all too quickly for me. By the next afternoon, I had forgotten about time altogether. I had never been this happy in my entire life, and I knew that it was a happiness that would continue even after the honeymoon was over and we had returned to Beaufort. We had just gotten off the safari ride in Animal Kingdom and it was starting to get dark. The park was closing for the day and Landon suggested we go back to the hotel for dinner, where they were having a Hawaiian Luau.**

**The waiter slipped a yellow flowered lei around my neck and led us to a small table in the back corner, lit by a torch on the wall. On the table was a big bouquet of pink roses.  
"Happy one week anniversary." Landon whispered, encircling me in a hug. "This has been the best week of my life. Every day with you is better than the one before. I love you Jamie."  
**

**I leaned my forehead against his and kissed him softly. "I have something for you too." I said, handing him a picture of us riding Splash Mountain, going down the waterfall. "Thank you for making all my dreams come true. I love you too." I didn't notice any of the other people around us that night, but I knew I would never forget the image of Landon's eyes sparkling in the dancing firelight.  
**

**We slept late the following morning, and when we awoke, we quickly packed our bags in preparation for our flight home late that night. We left our luggage neatly lined up by the door and decided to spend the morning in the Magic Kingdom. I still hadn't been inside Cinderella's castle, and Landon had insisted that we couldn't leave until I had done so. After riding Splash Mountain one last time, we boarded a bus to Epcot. The day passed quickly, and the sky faded from blue to pink to purple and we looked like typical tourists as we took in all the sights. The sun had just left the sky when we suddenly became aware of time again.**

**"We have to be at the airport in two hours." Landon informed me, glancing at his watch.  
"Perfect, we have just enough time to watch the fireworks." I replied, leading him to a bench overlooking the lake. The sky over the water exploded in bursts of color while music from various Disney movies played in the background.  
"I can show you the world, shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me princess now when did you last let your heart decide?" Landon moved closer to me on the bench as he sang along with the music.  
"I didn't know you were a fan of Aladdin." I giggled.  
" Well I might have seen it once or twice..." he shrugged. "Hey we should get going...don't want to miss our flight. Then we would have to live in Disney World forever."  
**

**Navigating through the crowds took longer than expected and we were a few minutes behind schedule by the time we reached the airport. We were running through the terminal when our boarding call was announced. "Final call for flight 323 to Jacksonville, North Carolina." The door to the plane was closed just after we entered and we quickly settled into our seats. When the plane took off, I was amazed at how beautiful the world looked lit up below us. I could not take my eyes off the window, it seemed like I could see every star in the galaxy. I was about to point out my star to Landon, when I noticed he had fallen asleep on my shoulder. I tried not to wake him as I stared out the window in awe, amazed at how the stars seemed so close, yet so far away at the same time. I was struck by the vastness of the sky. I thought of 1 Kings 8:27 "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you." I don't know when I fell asleep, but the next thing I knew, I opened my eyes and Landon was standing in the aisle, stretching. **

"**Welcome home." , he said with a yawn. **


	4. New Hope

I heard the sound of rain pouring down on the roof before I opened my eyes. I noticed it was late, after lunch time, and I was surprised to find Jamie in bed next to me, still asleep. I wandered downstairs into the kitchen, and rummaged through the fridge, trying to find something that I could cook without burning the house down and waking Jamie up. I had just picked up a package of frozen waffles when the phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered, dropping a waffle into the toaster.

"Hi honey, this is Ellen from Dr. Reynold's office," She replied in t a thick southern accent. "I know this is a bit last minute, but Dr. Reynolds wanted to see Jamie in the office today at 3:00."

I could feel my heart start beating faster in my chest. "Is something wrong, is Jamie okay?" I could feel a lump rising in my throat.

"You'll have to talk to the doctor, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. " 

"Oh okay, thanks...we'll see you then." I had suddenly lost my appetite. I took an umbrella from the hall closet and walked out across the back yard to the pond. Sitting down on the weathered bench under the tree, I noticed that the weather matched my mood. I watched the rain splash on the water for a few minutes, and prayed for more time with Jamie. I know it was a selfish prayer, but I knew that when she left, a part of me would go with her.

I realized it was already 2:00 and walked back into the house. I intended on waking Jamie up, but found myself sitting on the edge of the bed, memorizing how her hair fell across her face.

Jamie blinked her eyes open and looked up at me.

"Hey sleeping beauty. You slept late. "

"Mmmm. Let's just stay in bed all day.", she replied lazily.

"Can't. We have a doctors appointment in an hour."

Jamie groaned and pulled the covers up over her head. When she didn't reappear after a few minutes, I joined her under the mess on blankets.

"It's nice under here." I noticed, brushing back her hair and kissing her lightly. "So is there anything you want to tell me? Do you have any idea what this appointment is about?"

Jamie took my hand and looked away. "I don't know, but the last time I had an emergency appointment was when I stopped responding to treatment."  
I didn't know how to respond, and turned away so Jamie would not see the tears forming in my eyes. A minute later, Jamie appeared on the side of the bed and pulled the covers back.

"Its okay to be scared Landon. We just have to trust God's plan.

**There was no traffic on the streets and we made it into town in less than 10 minutes. The doctor's office was empty except for two elderly couples in the waiting room. I walked up to the receptionist's desk and signed my name on the clipboard - Jamie Sullivan. I quickly crossed off Sullivan and wrote Carter. Seeing my new name made me smile, despite the uncertainty of my last minute appointment. I was just about to sit down next to Landon when Ellen appeared through the swinging door.  
**

**"Well hello there, Miss Jamie! How's my best patient today?" Ellen asked, hugging me with an exuberant amount of strength.  
**

**"I'm okay, how's my best nurse?"  
**

**"I'm doin' alright, considering I've been chasing after my grandbabies all weekend." She replied, releasing me from her grip. "We need some labs today, so why don't you two follow me?"  
**

**Landon and I followed Ellen down the hall and into a room, where she slid my chart out of the basket on the wall.  
**

**"This chart of yours has more pages than a phone book, Miss Jamie. I think you're about ready for your medical degree."**

**Landon kept his eyes glued to a painting hanging on the wall while Ellen removed 4 small vials and a needle from the cabinet.  
**

**"What's wrong Carter, you can't take a little blood?" He glanced over at me, and quickly averted his eyes to the painting, his face turning pale. "I thought you wanted to be a doctor. You'll never make it through med school like this.", I joked.  
**

**"I have never seen a man stare at a painting of flowers so intently." Ellen began to chuckle. "You can look now, we're just about done. You two can go back out to the waiting room, Dr. Reynolds is just finishing up with a patient."  
We took adjacent seats next to the door. Landon tapped his foot nervously and checked his watch. I handed him a booklet to read from the table.**

**"Understanding Meningitis. Thanks, it's just what I was looking for." he laughed and swatted my arm with the booklet.  
**

**"Made you laugh!", I giggled, as the elderly woman across the room looked up at us sternly. We were just recovering from another round of giggles when Ellen appeared through the swinging door.  
**

**"Jamie, the doctor is ready to see you now. Why don't you two come back to his office?"  
**

**I entered the small room and took a seat next in an office chair next to the window. Landon sat down next to me and Ellen smiled sympathetically as she closed the door.  
Dr. Reynolds looked up from reading my chart. "Jamie, Landon. How are you?"  
**

**"I was hoping you could tell us." Landon laughed nervously.  
**

**Dr. Reynolds frowned. "Jamie, I have your test results from today." He paused and I could feel my stomach tighten into a knot. "Your white blood cell count has gone over 150,000."**

"What does that mean?" I asked, afraid to know the answer. The doctor began reciting facts about the growth rate of white blood cells. I didn't understand. I looked at Jamie, hoping for a simpler explanation, but her eyes were fixed on the floor, blinking back tears. I suddenly understood that whatever we were dealing with wasn't good. I reached for Jamie's hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"It means...," Dr. Reynolds paused and frowned, "The leukemia has gotten worse."  
I could feel Jamie's grip on my hand tighten. The room was silent for a moment and the monotones tick of the clock echoed in my ears. Jamie's voice came out in a whisper.

"How much time do I have?"

"Your case would be considered critical at this point. Normally I would be sending you home on hospice care. Maybe a few weeks at the most."

Jamie stared blankly out the window. "Are you okay, baby?" The moment I spoke the words I knew it was a stupid question.  
She nodded confidently. "Dr. Reynolds, do you believe in miracles?"

"Actually," he replied, "That brings me to the reason I called you in here today. There's a new experimental treatment out for chronic mylogenous leukemia. It's not a cure, but it could buy some time."

"How much time?" I asked hopefully.

"A few months maybe even 4-6."

I looked at Jamie, her face alternating between expressions of shock and joy. Apparently I wasn't the only one who could see the question in her eyes.  
Dr. Reynolds laughed. "I think it would be safe to say that you have a chance of making it to Christmas."

"When can we start?" I asked enthusiastically.

"I want you both to take some time to think this over before we jump into it. Although it is a pill, it is still a form of chemotherapy. While it doesn't involve most of the chemotherapy side effects, it still has some side effects that could be troublesome or potentially dangerous - headaches, weakness, nausea, abnormal heart rate..."

"I want to two to go home and think about this and call me when you've made a decision."

Jamie's smile when we were leaving the office was contagious. When we got into the hallway, I reached into my pocket for my car keys, but Jamie reached for my arm and stopped me.

"Landon, I don't have to think about this. I feel like God has given me a gift today and I don't want to miss this opportunity. If you need more time to think about it we can go home, but..."

"Jamie," I said stopping her mid-sentence. "I would never need a second to decide about spending more time without you. I just wish that medicine could give us a hundred years."

She squeezed my hand with tears in her eyes and led us back into the doctor's office. Dr. Reynolds was waiting for us when we opened the door. "

"Jamie," he said, not looking not the least bit surprised. "I thought you might be back."

"I don't need any time to decide."

"Say no more. I've already written out the prescription." He reached into the pocket of his lab coat and retrieved a slip of paper. "I'll see you again in three weeks. Best of luck to you two."

"Thank you, but we don't need luck. We have faith."

**I sat in the car in front of the pharmacy staring at the prescription. "Did you ever see the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?"  
**

**Landon shot me a quizzical look."Umm...yeah..."  
**

**"I wonder if this is what Charlie felt like when he found the golden ticket."   
**

**"I was wondering where this conversation was going with that one." Landon laughed, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. "Better go turn in your golden ticket before we lose it."**

**Although it was still summer, in my mind I was already forming plans for Christmas by the time we got home. As I unlocked the front door, I made a mental note to get a wreath for it.  
**

**"Wouldn't this be a perfect place for the Christmas tree?" I couldn't contain my enthusiasm as I surveyed the front corner of the living room. "That way people could see the lights from the window and it wouldn't block the fireplace. Our stockings could go on this side over here, and what do you think about putting the nativity up on the mantel?" Landon smiled at me coyly.  
**

**"This", he replied, pulling me into the doorway," Would be a perfect spot to hang the mistletoe." He wrapped his hands around my waist, pulling me closer, and kissed me passionately.  
**

**A few minutes later we were sitting on the porch swing drinking sweet tea. The rain had cleared and steam rose from the pavement in shimmering waves of heat.**

**"Landon, what do you think about having our parents over for dinner tonight? I still haven't told my father the good news."  
**

**"I think it a great idea. I'll go call everyone."  
**

**I went into the kitchen and began peeling peaches for a pie. I could hear Landon on the phone in the living room making arrangements. A few minutes later he appeared in the doorway. "They'll be here at 7. I figured that didn't really give you enough time to make anything, so my Dad and I can just grill some burgers."  
**

**"It sounds perfect." I answered, putting the last of the peaches into the pie pan.  
**

**"Jamie, this whole day has been perfect."  
**

**We were already finished with dinner and half way through dessert, and I had yet to find the perfect opportunity to share my news.  
**

**"Jamie, this pie is amazing!" Landon's mom exclaimed, cutting another piece of peach pie. "How did you learn to cook like this?"  
**

**"I had to. We would have starved if my Dad had been in charged of cooking."  
**

**"Unfortunately its true.", my father laughed, "She was raised on instant oatmeal until she was tall enough to reach the stove."  
**

**"Lucky for me, or I would be surviving on frozen pizza and burnt toast." Landon reached over and tickled me, and after our laughter died down the conversation fell into a lull again.  
**

**"Actually there's a reason we invited you all over tonight. This was kind of a celebration dinner...We have something to tell you." I looked around the table at the confused expressions on everyone's faces. Landon smiled at me and I squeezed his hand before continuing. "Daddy, remember when I was 5 and you taught me Mark 9:23?"  
**

**My father nodded. "All things are possible to him who believes."  
**

**"I'm starting a new experimental treatment. It's not a cure, but it could give me 6 more months. There's hope that I'll make it to Christmas."  
**

**My parents' expressions quickly turned from shock to joy, but it was Jamie's father I could not take my eyes off of. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he embraced his daughter.**

The sun was barely visible in the sky by the time the hugging and cheerful outbursts and died down. As I helped my mother clear the table I could see Jamie and her father out of the corner of my eye. They were sitting across the yard, on the bench by the pond, and above them the sky began to turn deep shades of purple and orange. I watched them together, the two people with more faith than anyone I had ever met. I wondered if even their faith could withstand the trials they were facing. How could they still have so much trust in God after all they had been through? It was a question that haunted me for the rest of the night. 

Later that night, after everyone had gone home, I joined Jamie in the hammock under the stars. It had become a tradition for us to lie there together, staring at the sky on nights when we didn't take the telescope out.

"Hey you." She whispered softly, moving over and putting her head on my chest. She had her mother's book of quotes tucked under her arm.

"I thought I'd find you here." I kissed her gently, still pondering her unwavering faith.

"Let's see what we've got here." I said, taking the book from her arms and opening it to the marked page. In a moment my eyes had adjusted to the dim moonlight and I began reading from the top of the page. "Trials are not enemies of faith, but opportunities to reveal God's faithfulness. I closed the book and glanced at Jamie's sleeping form. I had gotten my answer.


End file.
